


Discarded Duty

by Silquestnocte



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Agni Kai, Canon-Typical Violence, Directly after ATLA, Drama, Explicit Language, Exploration, F/M, Family Drama, M/M, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, People will do anything for power, Politics, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Romance, Secret Societies, Shit gets burned and cut alright, Spirit World, Things are unstable after the war, Violence, mentions of past violence/abuse, more characters to be introduced - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 18:53:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7450279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silquestnocte/pseuds/Silquestnocte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War is never cut and dry.  After the end of the 100 year war,  elements of the Fire Nation continued to wage what they viewed as the good fight. After all, as members of a superior nation,  it is their right to subjugate the other lands. Manifest Destiny and such.  Before,  there was an obvious enemy,  there were ranks and units.  The switch to guerilla warfare and banditry by those in the Fire Nation military who refuse to recognize the newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko is causing the conflict to continue even further. At home,  plots to snatch power from Zuko, and to destroy the Avatar are brewing. Can a former pawn abandoned by their puppeteer find a way to finally grow into the person they wish to become?  And more importantly,  can they figure out how to function in a group of friends and help shape a world of peace next to someone who's blind to their affections?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Most Convenient Sick Day Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I had a wild dream a while ago after I marathoned Avatar: the last Airbender and then played Fallout : New Vegas. This has literally no resemblance to that dream, but it did inspire me greatly. Enjoy! More notes to be found below!

Pain ripped through their abdomen as a figure coughed up yet another mouthful of bile. Another was holding back their long black hair while they rubbed their back. 

“Oh Ji, there’s no way you can go to work like this.” Yu sighed as they pulled out a piece of cord and began to braid back their sick roommate’s hair.

Jiao spat out a bit more of the dark fluid and wiped at his mouth. “The coronation…They’ll need- “

Yu smacked the top of the other boy’s head. “As if they’ll let you into the kitchens in this state! You’ll get everyone sick, if you can even stand long enough to cook. Trust me, the others will cover for you. It’s not like Princess Azula ever goes in there anyway.” 

Jiao looked dazedly at the bucket, it looked like something akin to coffee grounds was in his puke. With a small groan he flopped back down onto his bed. “But the others can’t make dumplings like I do though, and I’m not about to spill my secret technique.” He croaked as his roommate tied off the braid. 

Yu looked down at him as tsked his tongue “Well then, you’re just going to have to accept that a newly minted Fire Lord, and maybe the Phoenix King is going to end up eating them.” Yu stood up and shook his head at the mess that Jiao had become. “Hey, I’ll be sure to bring back some medicine, I don’t like the way your vomit looks.” 

Jiao groaned out a thank you before rolling over to rebury themselves in the coarse, but warm burgundy blankets. The sound of the rushing footsteps quiet chatter as the other servants left their quarters and went off to do their respective duties. 

Jiao awoke some hours later to find that Yu was packing, an unreadable expression on his face. 

“Yu, what’s going on?” Jiao croaked out, confused.

Yu sighed as he folded another set of clothes into his trunk. “I’ve been banished by the Princess.”

Jiao screwed up his face, “Damn, I know you hated her, but I always thought you managed to keep it quiet like the rest of us.”

Yu shook his head, “She banished me for smiling too much, said it was clear that I was making fun of her. She considered having me executed before changing her mind.” 

Jiao looked at Yu in shock, “What?”

Yu closed his trunk and locked it. “She’s banishing everyone left and right for similar offenses, I’m not actually going to leave the city, but I’m going to stay at my parent’s home on the edge for now.”

Yu pointed at a small box on the table in their room, “There’s the medicine I promised I’d bring you, you’re supposed to swallow a spoonful once every two hours with a glass of water. I’ve set up a timed candle and there’s a big bucket of fresh water over there too. Try not to die, this medicine was expensive, and you owe me a big favor for getting it to you.” With a wry smile and a salute, Yu was gone. 

Jiao slumped back into his covers, unsure of what to do. Eventually, he descended into fevered dreams. 

He wasn’t sure for how long he was sick, it felt like every two minutes the candle would pop, waking him, and prompting him to take the medicine, and then he’d slump back to his bed, close his eyes for a moment, lean over to vomit at some point, and then the process would repeat. Finally, he awoke to find that his fever had broken. Jiao shuffled out from his room to find…No one. Not a single person. 

It was eerie, walking through the normally busy halls with only himself. It was so quiet as well, normally there was the sound of laughter, of food being eaten, and people moving around. He took a bath in complete solitude for the first time in years, scrubbing away the veneer of old sweat his body had formed during his sickness. Jiao silently blessed Yu for having the foresight to braid his hair back, otherwise the thigh length expanse he had worked so hard to grow would have certainly gotten vomit on it. Now fully washed he had just reached for a towel to dry himself when the door to the servant’s bath flew open. Jiao froze in place, stunned at the sudden intrusion. To his surprise, the banished (or was he un-banished again?), he had certainly been branded as a traitor was standing there in a robe wielding a set of swords.

They made eye contact, very awkward eye contact. Deep blue met golden as the silence stretched on between them. Jiao finally snatched up the towel he had been reaching for and quickly wrapped it around his waist, and turned his gaze to the floor as proper. With a slight bow he said flatly, “Forgive my state sir, is there anything I can assist with?” 

The prince shuffled out from an attacking stance and mumble, “No, forgive the intrusion.”

Jiao bit his tongue to keep himself from saying something rude, but instead he went with, “If I may ask, how did you even get in here? I was under the impression that your honorable sister was after your head.”

At that Zuko snorted, “She doesn’t have any honor. Uh, I’m not sure how you didn’t know, but the war is over.”

Jiao’s head snapped up and forgetting his place he immediately said “What?” before realizing what he had done and returning to stare back at the floor. “Forgive me sir, I was quite startled at the news. May I ask what happened?” 

Zuko cleared his throat, “It’s fine really, uh, you don’t have to be so formal. It’s literally just me in the palace right now.” He felt his breath catch in his throat as the vaguely familiar servant made eye contact with him again. He was sure he had never seen such a color before in someone’s eyes, not even the members of the Water Tribe. They were the same shade as the blued steel in some officers’ swords. 

Zuko leaned against the doorframe and gave them the rundown of the situation, his father’s downfall, his sister’s defeat, his declaration of the war’s end. The servant listened attentively while he explained what had gone on, sometimes nodding, other times looking like they wanted to comment before schooling their expression back into neutrality. 

Finally, they said “I see. Congratulations on becoming Fire Lord, I hope you have many good years ahead of you.” They offered a small smile as well, and Zuko found himself smiling back.

“Thank you. What’s your name?”

“Jiao-Long my Lord.”

“I see, and your position here?”

“I’m one of the cooks, I normally prepare the dumplings and steamed buns.”

Zuko’s face lit up, “Were you the one who prepared the lemongrass-cherry blossom-chicken buns for dinner a few months ago?”

Jiao laughed brightly, “Yes! You remember that mess? I still can’t believe I was asked to make those…”

Zuko asked in a softer tone, “And the cinnamon pork ones we used to take on picnics, did you make those too?” 

Jiao tilted his head, “You mean from before your banishment?” 

The other nodded as his eyes wandered to inspect the wall, clearly remembering one of the precious memories from when his family was still able to call themselves ‘happy’.

Jiao paused trying to read the situation before he put on a smile and bubbled “Nope! But I can make them, would you like some?” 

Zuko looked back at him and smiled haltingly, “I think I’d like that. Could I have some please?”

Jiao nodded before flicking some of his long black strands behind his shoulder. “Sure thing, just let me get into some clothes, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen. Deal?”

Zuko found his eyes wander down the other’s chest momentarily before he caught himself. “Deal.” He approved before turning around and stalking down the empty hall. Halfway down, he slapped a hand into his face. What was he doing? He had come down this way because he had heard some noises and was worried that someone had snuck in, and he had pretty much just bullied the final servant into making him dumplings. Hadn’t his sister banished everyone? It was going to be a devil of a time to get the castle re-staffed thanks to Azula. 

Zuko found himself getting turned around, maybe even going in circles. It seemed like he kept on coming to dead end after dead end, he couldn’t locate any land marks at all, there weren’t even any windows so he could figure out what direction he was going. There was just the plain white walls and identical wooden doors. He was just considering burning a mark on the wall so he could mark his way when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. 

It was Jiao a bemused expression on his face, “Any particular reason you’re heading to the laundry?” 

Zuko sputtered out something about how he knew exactly where he was going and was about to pull some excuse out when Jiao broke out into laughter. 

“It’s fine, everyone gets lost in here their first few times. C’mon, I promised you steamed buns.” 

Zuko walked beside him, a little embarrassed he didn’t even know his own way around his home. Jiao was dressed neatly in the red tunic and black pants the servants who normally stayed out sight wore, his hair pulled back in a tight braid and tied off with a piece of red ribbon. The feeling that Zuko knew him returned, there was just something so familiar about his face and the sound of his footsteps. 

They walked in companionable silence, through narrow winding halls until they finally reached a set of heavy iron double doors. 

Jiao pushed one open, and it swung out smoothly on its hinges, and gestured for Zuko to enter. The cavernous space, filled with stoves and stained surfaces seemed like foreign territory without at least four or five people bustling about preparing something. A strange look came over the young Fire Lord’s face. “I never imagined the kitchen would be this large.”

Jiao shrugged as he walked over to the pantry for the ingredients he’d need to cook the steamed buns. “There’s literally an entire castle to feed, or there used to be. We’d sometimes have to cook the things the royal family ordered when they were outside the castle.” Jiao looked over his shoulder and questioned, “What were you doing with all those fruit tarts anyway?” 

Zuko was still taking in the sheer size of the space, and the final question caught him off guard. “Oh, Mai liked them, and liked asking for them.” Jiao nodded and went back to pulling together the ingredients. “That makes sense. How is your girlfriend doing anyway? Last I heard she was visiting her uncle on the Boiling Rock.” 

Zuko stiffened, “She’s at one of her family’s homes outside the city. I’m not allowed to see her yet.” He took a few steps backwards to lean again one of the granite counters. 

Jiao nodded and began cubing the meat they’d need for the buns. “I’m sure in a few weeks you’ll be stuck together like white on rice again, or so I’ve heard that’s how you two are.”

The Fire Lord flushed in embarrassment, public displays of affection weren’t forbidden, but the fact that the news of his had obviously managed to reach the servants was mortifying. 

Jiao pointed their knife at them, “Hey, there’s no shame in it. I’ve the two of you make a cute couple. A gloomy one, but still sweet in your own way.”

Zuko felt his cheeks warming with mortification at the idea of such gossip being passed around, but before he could even speak Jiao was tsking as him “Yelling at me won’t get anything done, and burning me will only serve to char your buns. So cut it out.” 

Adequately cowed, Zuko looked away and huffed. It was unthinkable that a servant would speak to him in such a manner, but here he was, taking it. 

Jiao shook his head at the other’s behavior. He had heard about how Zuko’s attitude had changed in his time in exile, and he supposed that there were still some fragments left from that time period in his personality. “Hey, if you wash your hands, you can help me with fun part.” He didn’t even look up when he pointed down the kitchen “Sink’s over there, even if it looks like more of a tub”. 

After nearly soaking himself from the industrial sized pump, Zuko pulled on one of the aprons off a hook and tied it around his waist. After a moment of searching, he found an apron that had ‘Jiao <3’ written on a tag above its hook. He walked back over to where Jiao was vigorously mixing a medium-sized bowl with what looked like a reddish brown paste forming in side of it. “Wow, you work fast. Here, this is yours right?” 

Jiao looked up from him marinade and was surprised to see Pri-Fire Lord Zuko holding his apron. “Yeah, That’s it.” With a small smile he took it from the fight-calloused hands offering it. It was surprisingly easy to slip into simple conversation while Jiao directed Zuko through the steps. Zuko would question why something was being done or being put in, and Jiao would answer, it soon turned to joking around, and both of them being covered in rice flour while they were supposed to be kneading the dough. Finally, though, Zuko had gotten a hang of stuffing the dumplings, and Jiao was setting up the steamer. He hefted a large wok up onto the range and lugged a bucket of water to fill the bottom of the pot. This was when Zuko realized that his hands had been filling a veritable army’s worth of buns. 

“Uh, I know I’m hungry, but there’s no way we can finish this many buns ourselves.” 

Jiao shrugged and turned the valve on the side of the stove and stuck his finger below the range, “I guess it was a bit of a force of habit, I’m not really used to making small batches. You said the Avatar and your other friends were here too right? Maybe they’d like to eat some later.” The smallest of flames puffed from his finger tip and quickly caught onto the gas. The little red spark turned to a proper azure as the natural gas began to feed the fire. The blue flames licked the bottom of the wok as Jiao went over to help Zuko finish assembling the buns. 

“You’re a fire bender.” Zuko remarked as the other slid up next to him, practiced hands forming the buns at nearly twice the speed of his own. 

Jiao sighed, a wave of sadness, and what looked like regret washed over his face. “Yes, I am. You just saw the full extent of my abilities in that field.” Zuko stopped rolling the bun he was on, and frowned at him. “That can’t be it, that’s the kind of thing fire benders do the first time they start bending.”

Jiao’s hands stopped as well. “Well, it’s the extent of mine. Not everyone’s encouraged to learn how to bend. Some are even discouraged.” His face became a mask of neutrality as his hands flew back to action at an even higher tempo. 

Zuko looked on in disbelief, “No, all fire benders are encouraged to practice the art. Even if they can’t go into the army they- “

Jiao slammed his hand down onto the counter, “Well some of us aren’t lucky enough to alright? Let it go!” The flames under the wok flared up, nearly over taking the edges as the water was promptly brought to a roiling boil. 

Zuko threw down the bun that had been resting in his hands, where it smushed itself against the counter. “Look at you! You obviously have the power to do some basic bending, but here you are endangering yourself and the others around you because of your lack of training!” 

The temperature rose in the room along with their tempers. “Let it go, sometimes you just have to accept your lot in life.” Jiao hissed out before turning his back on the other. 

Zuko reached over and spun them around, seizing their shoulders, and was about to shout something before he saw their face. He was stunned to find an expression that was all too familiar to him, pain hiding behind pride. 

Jiao was outraged, how dare Zuko, who wasn’t exactly known for his sound decisions, tell him how to live his life. He had no idea what Jiao had been through, and he had no right to treat him this way, Fire Lord or not. He was getting ready to kick the other in the gut when Jiao felt the grip on his shoulders loosen. 

Zuko’s hands dropped to his sides as he looked away. “I-I’m sorry that was uncalled for.” Jiao took a step back away from his and sighed forcefully. “Yes, it was. Apology accepted. I should apologize as well, for losing my temper.” A soft grunt of agreement came from Zuko’s throat. There was a beat of silence before Jiao chirped “Well, thanks to that we’ve got plenty of steam! C’mon, we should have these cooked in no time flat!” 

Jiao showed Zuko how to arrange the buns in the bamboo steamer (not to close together or they’ll stick, not too far apart or it’s a waste of space). Soon they had a towering bamboo steamer set up, and chock full of buns.   
Zuko crossed his arms, “So, uh, now what?” Jiao was already reaching into the cabinets for even more supplies. “Now, we make a sauce to dip them in, boil rice to eat with them, and wash and chop some greens.” Zuko assisted in cleaning up what was no longer needed before an idea hit him. “How about some tea to go with this if we’re going to have a full meal?” 

Jiao blinked at him before turning back to the ingredients he was measuring out,” Alright, but you should know I’m next to hopeless when it comes to brewing…”

Zuko balked for a moment, “Oh, no, I wasn’t asking for you to make some, you already have your hands full, I was offering to whip some up.” 

Jiao looked up at him with a smile, ‘So all that time with his uncle did end up with bits of his uncle rubbing off onto him’. He paused to point at the shelves on the opposite side of the room. “There should be containers of tea and some tea sets in there. Did you see where I pulled the Wok from? That’s where there’s some kettles as well.” 

To Jiao’s surprise, Zuko began to butcher tea-related jokes as he set about making it. From the corner of his eye, he could see how much care he was putting into brewing the tea. It was cute to see someone he was used to thinking of as some wild exiled prince crouched down and examining the level of the flames so carefully. 

“And I can’t remember this really good one, but the punchline goes, ‘I’m bushed, leaf me alone!’” 

Jiao started at the widely smiling Fire Lord and broke out into laughter. They were soon nearly doubled over with laughter. 

Zuko laughed along with him for a moment, and then puffed up his chest. “That was a funny one right?”

Jiao shook his head, his entire body still shaking with laughter. “That was so bad!” and broke out into laughter anew. It took a beat for him to compose himself. As he wiped away the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes. “Oh my gods, I love jokes like that.” And with that, went back to whisking the sauce together. 

Zuko took up a position next to Jiao cutting the vegetables now that the tea was seeping, and kept on trying to get the same reaction out of him. Sadly, none were up to snuff, but he did get a wide variety of the same lovely smile, and a couple more laughs out of him. 

Somewhere between all the jokes, a bit of something had gotten caught in Jiao’s hair behind his ear. “Hey, you go something in your hair.” Zuko gestured to the general location and watched as the other tried to pluck it out, but only succeeded in mussing the hair in that area. 

Jiao was beginning to wonder if Zuko was just messing with him when a hand reached out to pick out the fragment of bay leaf that had floated out of its canister. There was a small pause, just the two of them in silence with no one but each other… Zuko had just grasped the bit of leaf wand was about to pull away when the doors leading out to the dining hall burst open. 

“And THIS has to be the source of the smell!” “Mm, meat!” “You think they’ll be anything else to eat?” “Who’s that?”  
Jiao stiffened up, he didn’t recognize these voices, and he currently had his back to that door. Zuko saw the unease flash through his eyes, and the flames of the stove spike in response, and put his other hand on their shoulder. 

“Hey, it’s fine. It’s okay.” Zuko attempted to keep his tone soft as he tried to reassure the untrained fire bender. He was definitely going to have to have a talk about their lack of training later. If being surprised resulted in the flames around them reacting, what would happen if they got terrified? He knew that they had obviously made it to adulthood without killing themselves in an emotional moment, but still. It wasn’t safe, at all. And they literally worked in a place where they were surrounded by flames. 

“Uh, Didn’t know you had a thing for older women Zuko.” And there was Sokka’s fat mouth running again. “Are we interrupting something?” ventured Katara. 

Jiao quickly shoved all of himself behind his professional mask. He could handle this, he handled worse on the day-to-day basis, or he used to. Azula was picky, and was liable to be cruel to anyone who borked any dish she ordered. Well, before she got it into her unstable noggin that it’d be better to simply banish everyone. 

Jiao didn’t have time to really think about the kind of rationalization that must have taken, instead he turned around and with a familiar fake smile and bowed at the others. It was a little bizarre to actually see the Avatar and his cohorts after seeing wanted poster after wanted poster for them, but it didn’t matter. “Thank you for your consideration, but you are not interrupting anything. I am Jiao-Long, but feel free to address me as Jiao. How can I help you? Water? Food?” 

One of the Water Tribe members, the boy, had his jaw hanging open at an angle Jiao didn’t think was possible at his introduction, in a flash was in Jiao’s face, finger pointed accusingly. “You’re a guy! How the heck are you a guy?!?!” He was loud, rude, and frankly asking to be smacked. But the threat of losing his job, even if he was the lone staff now apparently, won out his desire for retribution.

Jiao’s teeth clenched. But before he could properly address the situation, the other Water Tribe member, his sister (if what he had heard was correct) had grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him back to a more appropriate distance. She pulled water out from somewhere and before anyone could blink, the boy had a face full of snow. She peeked out from behind her brother, “Sorry, my brother’s an idiot. I’m Katara, and snowface here is Sokka.” 

The shortest, a girl with milky white eyes and Earth Nation garb paused from her scratching at her ear to say, “Oh? We’re introducing ourselves now? I’m Toph. Let me assure you that you look about seven times more manly than Sokka ever will.” She smiled crookedly while Sokka puffed up in an attempt to defend his masculinity, before he could put his foot any further into his mouth though, the only one who truly didn’t need an introduction spoke up. 

“And I’m Aang. Oh, can’t forget Momo either.” The Avatar smiled as Momo flapped in through the door they had come through and touched down with a flop over his forehead. 

The wanted posters didn’t quite do him justice, even if he seemed tired, was shorter than he had anticipated, and he seemed so much younger too. His eyes were bright and the outfit was different than Jiao expected as well. Although it did make sense that the Avatar would have a spare set of clothes, everyone did after all. A little monkey-like creature with massive ears was perched on his shoulders, and eyeing some of the dried fruit suspended on the ceiling. 

“And, well, you know me.” Zuko stepped out from behind Jiao and joined the others. A strange ghost of a pang whispered through Jiao’s chest at the sight of them all together. It was clear that they were all very different from one another, in more than one way, but somehow the group of them had managed to flip the world on its head within the past year. There was a slightly lull in the introductions before Jiao fully inserted himself back into his professional persona. “I’m blessed to have met all of you, please, take a seat in the dining room, I’ll have some food out for you in a short moment.” 

He managed to politely shoo them all away sans the avatar’s pet (who all but buried himself into the dried cherries), and after a short frenzy of locating enough plates and trays, had managed to balance most of it in his hands. The reception to the food was nothing short of enthusiastic. Jiao had never seen someone stuff three buns into their mouth at once, and even if it was a bit disgusting, it was highly impressive. It took three trips to get all of the meal out, one for the dumplings and greens, another for the rice and drinks (Zuko carried out his tea with pride, but Jiao thought that some juice might be appreciated as well), and a third time for a large platter of fruit he had found in the fridge. Whatever event it had been planned for hadn’t come to pass, and it would have been a shame to let Loana’s knife work rot. 

Jiao smiled at all the thankyous, and had just given his final bow and standard “If you need any more food or assistance I’ll be in the kitchen do not be afraid to call” spiel when something new happened. 

He wasn’t waved off with a thank you, he wasn’t dismissed, he wasn’t given a new assignment, he wasn’t even straight up ignored. Instead he got five, well four, sets of eyes looking at him in confusion. Jiao had to keep himself from squirming with unease, “Did I forget something? Please forgive me, I’ll rectify-“ “Aren’t you going to eat with us?” It was Toph who voiced what was going through everyone’s head. 

A nervous laugh somehow made it’s way out of Jiao’s mouth. “No, it’s not proper for guests and friends of the Fire Lord to eat with a servant. It’s alright I’m not hungry.”

Toph crossed her arms. “That last bit was a lie, and I didn’t even have to check. Your legs were shaking earlier and your stomach is practically roaring for food.” 

Jiao began to slowly slide back toward the kitchen doors, “Thank you for your concern but my stomach is not-” his own anatomy betrayed him as a very audible growl sounded from his abdomen. 

Zuko suddenly found his friends staring at him. If he didn’t take action soon, one of the others would certainly take it upon themselves to do so. It wasn’t his fault Jiao acted like this, the guy probably had been at this job for years, it was probably ingrained into his mind at this point. He cleared his throat and pulled out the empty chair to his left after standing up. “Sit and eat, you did say friends of the Fire Lord dine with him right?” He swept past Jiao with a half-smile on his face. “I’ll get another plate.” 

Jiao had just taken his seat when Zuko poked his head out from behind the kitchen doors “Uh, where do we keep the plates?” he said sheepishly. 

“Right next to the kettles actually. On the top shelf. Would you like me to get it?” 

Zuko shook his head and then resumed his quest for a plate. 

Jiao tried to shrink into himself now that he was alone with four people he was completely unfamiliar with. 

Katara passed him a plate with a steaming bun and some greens, with a sly smile “So I heard Zuko helped you make these…”

Everyone seemed to lean forward a little, anticipating his answer. It was certainly a new experience, and Jiao was uncertain if he liked it or not. “Yes. He did. I think his probably have more meat in it than mine. He caught on pretty quickly though. The first time I tried to make buns they were so thick it was almost all bread.” 

That seemed to satisfy them, although he was quickly peppered with questions. He tried his best to field them between the bites of his food.

“How did you manage to not be banished?” 

“I was too busy puking my guts out to report to work.” 

“So, Jiao, how long have you been working here?”

“About two and a half years now.” 

“So you’re like, twenty right?” 

“No, I’m a little younger than Fire Lord Zuko actually.” 

“Really? By how much?”

“Almost exactly an hour actually. My mother went into labor shortly after the fireworks went up announcing his birth.”

“Doesn’t your hair get in the way of your cooking?” 

“Not really, when it’s back it’s no problem at all.” 

“So were your parents from the Fire Nation then?”

 

Jiao paused mid-bite and then thought while he chewed for a moment. “My father is; my mother was a foreigner. I’m not sure exactly where though.”

“Oh, can’t you ask her?”

“No.” His tone came out roughly six times sharper than he intended, but thankfully, everyone seemed understanding. Even if for a beat it was quiet enough to hear a crumb drop from the side of Aang’s mouth. Zuko had returned at some point during the interrogation, and was now munching quietly as the quite sat heavily between them. 

“I’m sorry,” Came Katara’s soft reply. 

Jiao sighed, “It’s not your fault. The war stole away more than its fair share.” 

The moment was completely broken by Sokka standing up and shouting “And now it’s over!” with a cup of juice held high. Everyone raised their glasses in response, and happy chatter about the coming peace was among them. Except for Toph, she didn’t raise hers until she managed to figure out what was going on. 

The meal went by quickly after that, after the initial stage of awkwardness, it was easy to fall into place amoungst the joking and laughter. Poking fun at the amount of food some of them could put away, there were more than a few jokes tossed Zuko’s way about him wearing an apron, but it was all in good fun. The unaltered happiness was over too soon.


	2. The great Turtleduck duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short sweet interlude before the drama starts to set in.

The next few weeks were… Peaceful. There of course was the hustle and bustle of things being repaired and small incidents of inconveniences, but for the most part everything was put away neatly. Azula had been quietly taken to some island to be treated for her mental break (something which Jiao and quite a few others was a long time coming), every healer and herbalist had their hands full with the wounded, and the new Fire lord?

The Firelord was currently feeding the turtleducks with his new friend after a long day of meetings. Diplomatic meetings with the other leaders seemed to stretch on and on as they listed the crimes against their peoples, as well as the retribution they expected to be paid. The pile of wrongs dealt out over the last century was hefty, and there was only so much one could deal with in a day, even if they had a wise Uncle who was much more apt at such dealings guiding them.   
Jiao held a particularly large crumb between his index and middle finger, wiggling it near the water’s edge to entice some of the ducklings to come closer. After a few minutes of patience, a handful of the fuzz balls had climbed up, their mothers supervising seriously. “Zuko,” Jiao whispered, “I think we might be able to pet them if we keep them distracted.” 

Zuko cautiously lowered himself to where Jiao was sitting with the turtleducklings in his lap, all of them peeping as they nibbled on the food in one of his hands. Zuko reached out slowly with a crooked finger, and traced a line down the smooth shell of the one closeted to him. It chirped in alarm at the touch, and before they knew what was happening, the turtle ducklings had clambered back into the water, and an adult turtleduck had lunged at Zuko’s sleeve. “Hey!”, the Firelord cried out indigently, scrambling to his feet. 

A good chunk of red and gold fabric ripped free as the turtleduck ran away with its prize, justice had been served. Zuko instinctively followed, only balking when he reached the bank. His companion stared at the scene of the normally proud and put-together Zuko looking like he was readying himself to dive in over a ripped sleeve for a long moment, before breaking out into laughter. Jiao hadn’t seen something so ridiculous in a long time. “Let it go Zuko, your sleeve is gone!”  
The sound of Jiao’s amusement brought Zuko out of his plans on retaking his sleeve, the ridiculousness of the situation dawning on him as well. He plopped down next to Ji, chuckling embarrassedly. “Sorry, guess I’m just so used to chasing after things I don’t really think about it anymore. It’s lucky you snapped me, I might have spent two years chasing that turtleduck while hollering about restoring my honor!”

A strange look passed over Jiao’s face, his bright smile gaining an artificial element while his eyes dulled. He clapped a hand on Zuko’s shoulder, “Yeah. Real lucky.” Something that sounded like sadness colored his voice. Jiao sighed and stood up abruptly, dusting off his uniform’s pants. “Well, It’s probably time I head back to my job. I don’t want to get in trouble with my boss.”

Zuko snorted and plucked a strand of grass up from where he was lounging, “I’m your boss, remember? It’s fine, you’ve been running yourself ragged for the past few days.” 

Jiao chuckled and flopped back down next to Zuko, bumping his shoulder against the other’s. “Like you haven’t either. You’ve been in meetings from literally sunup, to sundown for the last week. And this time of year, we get some of the most hours of sunlight.” 

“Ah, speaking of that, the sun’s setting, look.” Zuko pointed to the mountains visible over the palace walls. The flaming orange sun was currently nestled snugly in a gap between two distant peaks. 

Rather than looking at the setting sun, Jiao looked over at Zuko beside him. His profile unmarred from the scar that dominated the other side of his face. He just looked so… Perfect. Every inch a king. 

“Dude, the sun’s over there you realize that, right?”

Jiao rolled his eyes and smirked, “Yeah, you just had so much blush left on your face from being bested by a turtleduck, I mistook it for the red sky.”

Zuko huffed, “I do not!” as blood began to color his face at the remention of his recent defeat. “Besides, I showed it mercy, it ran away! That’s technically a retreat on it’s part, and a victory on mine.” 

It took several minutes for Jiao to get a hold on his laughter after that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be trying the thing where I update instead of letting myself forget about works in progress.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to tell me what you think, if you'd like more, part of my New Year's resolution is to update this regularly now that I've finally got enough filling for the larger overarching plot planned out well~
> 
> Come say hi to me on Tumblr! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/silnok/
> 
> Edityupdate 3/27/17: LMAO SO LIKE ANOTHER 3 PARAGRAPHS DIDN'T PASTE PROPERLY AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER. Thankfully, they were horrible, and thus have been scrapped. I have patched up the end so Iroh finishes his sentence, expect a new chapter soon!

It started slowly. Glances from the corners of the other palace employee’s eyes, conversations would abruptly end when he entered the room, at first Jiao thought nothing of it. But it kept on happening, and the people he thought he had befriended, or at least reached a state of mutual respect over the past three-odd years started to avoid him. Something was wrong, he was slowly becoming a pariah. Firelord Zuko and his friends were probably the only ones treating him normally.

It began dawning on Jiao that their friendship might be the source of the change in atmosphere the second time in a day that the Avatar burst into the kitchens to show him a new little trick he had figured out. The first time had been funny, and the other staff applauded appreciatively, happy got the small interruption of their oft tedious duties.

The fifth time they were openly glaring.

Jiao leaned down at Aang, who was still presenting the little folded paper bird he had figured out how to animate using air bending. “Look, your bending is great, but we’re all very busy, so could you please wait until my shift is done to demonstrate your powers?”

Aang’s wide gray eyes suddenly found the tops of his shoes to be very interesting. “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how much I was keeping you from your work I guess I’ll see you later then.” The Avatar made a quick retreat.  
A chorus of grumblings immediately arose the moment Aang closed the door behind him,

‘Doesn’t he have better things to do?’

‘Bet he thinks he’s all that, making friends with the Firelord.’

‘He barely even works anymore, why doesn’t the Zuko just take him as a concubine already.’

‘Worthless, Lazy, I knew Liling shouldn’t have hired him’

‘I bet the two of them cry about their daddy issues while they-‘

The snatches of conversation were barely audible, but they floated through the din of the sounds of cooking and preparation. Jiao just gritted his teeth and kept on working, trying to not show how the words were affecting him. If he showed that he was weak, that he cared, then they’d eat him alive.

Ignoring it did not work. Even Yu, his roommate, had seemingly abandoned him. It hurt, much more than he thought it would, when he sat down to eat breakfast and not a single person even glanced at him, or threw him a greeting.

The stress of being ignored by literally everyone he worked with was beginning to affect his health. His nightmares of being tossed aside returned in full force, phantom pains of wounds long healed racing across his back every time he startled awake. Dark circles became a permanent feature on his face.

It was such a relief when Zuko found the time to chat with him after both of their respective days were done, even if it often came with the package of everyone else he had been traveling with previously. It was nice really, being able to goof around with people his age carefreely. All of them had so many stories and jokes. Although he wasn’t particularly close to any of them sans Zuko, they still made an effort to include Jiao whenever he was around in their conversation, carefully tiptoeing around heavier and personal topics.  
Everyone had just disbanded to their respective rooms for the night when Jiao noticed that Toph was following him. She wasn’t making an effort, just tallied behind him. Jiao turned around suddenly, braid swinging with the movement. “Anything you want to talk about Toph?”

The earthbender grunted and crossed her arms, “You know, you move weird, like you’re really light on your feet, not like twinkletoes, but I know you’re not just a chef.”  
Jiao shrugged before he remembered that Toph couldn’t view the gesture. It was very easy to forget that she was blind with the way she carried herself. “Oh, I was training to be a guard before I decided to become a cook.”

Her previously neutral expression darkened a shade, “Fire nation guards don’t move like that either.”

“Well, I was also considering becoming a soldier.”

Toph flung up her hands, “And this! You’re not lying, not completely, but something’s off! You’re hiding something. And you know what, I just figured it out.”

Jiao turned around and began to calmly walk away, “Trust me, you haven’t.” He had only gotten a few steps away when he heard a small foot stomp forcefully onto the ground. A piece of the granite wall whistled past his ear. He was able to keep himself from jumping, but it didn’t stop his heart from galloping off.

“Don’t walk away from me, I’m not done. I’m not about to let an assassin or spy walk off!”

Jiao laughed once, humorlessly, his pulse racing as he turned back to Toph. “Don’t worry, I was never one of those either.”

Toph was still crouched into a defensive position. “Still, I can’t let you just waltz away, you can either spill everything, or I’ll pin you to the wall and make you talk.”

Jiao clenched his jaw, bitter anger clawing its way up his throat. “I was trained to be a body guard from a young age, but that career fell through very quickly once I started because I failed to protect someone. Happy now?”

Toph dropped back into a neutral stance, something like confusion and anger on her face. The chatter and tread of the guards on their nightly rounds reaching her much more quickly than him. Their voices quickly floated from around the corner as the guards approached, the syllables muted from distance. Jiao turned and walked as swiftly walk towards the guards, shortly breezing past them, trying to get as much distance from himself and Toph. Thankfully, she did not follow him to his room, but that didn’t stop Jiao from lying awake all night, jumping at every sound, sure that any moment someone was going to drag him away.

If he thought that his life before was hell, he had no idea what today was. Jiao had managed to drop five plates, some empty, one that was filled with freshly made black-bean buns that had taken him the better part of the afternoon. There was a massive state banquet to be held in the evening, and just about every prominent man and woman would be attending. It was literally the worst time possible to be messing up the small job he had.

And it was the opportunity the current head chef was looking for, “You’re fired. We can’t afford having someone waste time and plates like this. Pack up, and get out.”

Jiao wasn’t aware that words could make someone lose their sense of balance, but the room suddenly swung to the side, and Jiao all but collapsed onto the nearest counter. He tried to choke out an apology, an explanation, “I-“

Zhulin just glared at him from where he was towering over Jiao, “Just get out. Keep the apron.”

Jiao felt numb as he packed what little he had into a backpack. His hand stilled on the box of medicine Yu gave him what seemed like a lifetime ago. Deciding it’d be best to leave behind as few debts as possible, Jiao placed it carefully on his roomate’s bed.

He drifted through the familiar winding hallways, the dim realization that this was likely the last time he was going to be here.

Jiao wasn’t sure what pulled him to the gardens, compelled him to sit by the bank of one of the pond where he and Zuko had spent so much time chatting and feeding the turtleducks.

It was a little odd to be sitting there without anyone else, and with the silence of the garden, it almost felt like he was the solitary inhabitant of the world.

Jiao just sat, looking out over the glassy pond, trying to commit the place to memory. The emptiness that had been filling him earlier was consumed with a deep pain, and his mind began to fill with nevers

He would never be here again  
He would never be here with Zuko again  
He would likely never see Zuko again  
He would never be able to goof around in the kitchen with the Shu  
Or get into trouble with Yu  
Or play hide-and-seek with everyone in the drying linens  
Or tease Sokka with Katara again

Jiao stood up, the beginnings of tears burning in the back of his eyes. He dragged himself through the path that would lead him out to the eventually to the gates, lingering on the little details of this green space. As he rounded a corner near a pavilion, Zuko’s uncle appeared. The General was humming to himself, and had a small picnic basket in his hand.

As protocol required, Jiao stepped off to the side and bowed as the man passed. To his surprise, General Iroh stopped and bowed lightly in return, smiling as he nonchalantly greeted him. “Ah, good afternoon Jiao. Lovely weather we’re having today, my nephew is looking forward to leaving the banquet earlier and sneaking out a few liquor bottles to enjoy with you.”

Jiao gaped at him momentarily, before returning his gaze to the ground politely, “I’m afraid he’ll be drinking alone sir, I’m no longer employed here, and so there’s no reason for me to remain.”

Iroh stroked his beard. “Hm. You know; my nephew has a large burden to shoulder as Firelord, and I believe you’ve made it much easier for him to bare it. So why don’t you attend the banquet at least before you leave. At least that way, you can both spend one last night together.” The General sighed, “I’m sure he would hate to see you go without at least a goodbye.”

Jiao chewed on his words for a moment, in awe that General Iroh would so casually invite a servant (a former servant, but still) to such an important state function.  
“Sir, as much as I would like to accept, I don’t believe I’m prepared in the slightest to attend such an event.”

Jiao jumped as the General gave out a hearty laugh and clapped him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry so much, I’m sure a bright young man like yourself will do fine.”  
Jiao’s words came out flat and numb, “Sir, to speak frankly, I don’t think anyone will appreciate an interloper in mismatched clothing at what is likely the largest gathering of diplomats and nobility since the war began.”

Iroh took a moment to stroke his beard, “You won’t be an interloper if you’ve been invited, and clothes… While in essence I’m sure your presence alone will likely be a delight to those around, I can understand your trepidation at attending such a function while wearing your current outfit.” Iroh waved his hand, “But those can be taken care of easily enough, I’m sure there’s something in your size tucked away somewhere. It might be a few seasons out of style, but a good outfit can withstand the test of time.”  
Jiao turned his head up hesitantly, “Really? You’d…Do that for me General?” Iroh smiled sunnily, “A friend of my nephew, is a friend of mine. Come, I believe we have enough time for a cup of tea, and perhaps a quick game of Pai Sho if you’re up for it.”

Jiao’s lips turned up slightly before he lowered himself into a shallower bow, “I’d be honored, sir”.

Several cups of warm tea and a spectacularly bad game of Pai Sho (on Jiao’s part, about mid-way the General took pity on the obvious rookie and turned it into a teaching lesson) later, they were both poking around an obviously long-vacant room in search of clothes. The furniture all had sheets draped over them to protect them from dust, and all the small signs of inhabitation, like a sock in the corner, or some pens laid out on the desk, were absent. Stacks of chests dominated the room, storing more than the space obviously held when it was in use. The room also smelled like it had not been opened in a long time, dead air.

Jiao noticed the occasional nostalgic, and occasionally sad expressions crossing Iroh’s face as they looked through the various containers. What seemed to be the remnants of a bird’s nest, a battered fan, a set of plant identification books, all of them obviously held memories for the General. Jiaos’s hands reverently handled everything once he picked up on it, this room’s former occupant was obviously someone near and dear to Iroh.

Jiao had just stumbled upon a rather impressive toy chest when a small noise of triumph sounded from across the room. After ensuring the lid was closed well and resealed for whoever it belonged to, Jiao navigated his way to where Iroh was kneeling next to a large open trunk. The smell of cedar wafted out from the deeply embossed container, rich colors and stunning embroidery that hadn’t seen the light of day in what was probably years neatly folded into tight squares.

At the General’s becoming, Jiao knelt next to his elder, his hands folded politely in his lap while his eyes tried to dissect the colors and patterns within the trunk. Iroh pulled out a shocking green robe, turtle-ducks in a deep viridian, cream, and gold almost seeming to swim as the fabric was unfolded. Iroh held the garment up squinting at Jiao. “I think you might be a little thinner than Lu Ten when he was your height, they should still fit alright nevertheless. What do you think of the color?”

Jiao nearly choked on air as Iroh casually mentioned his son. He opened his mouth slightly to say something, but couldn’t find the words to express what he was feeling. Blush bloomed across his face as the enormity of what General Iroh was offering. It was an overwhelming sense of shock and a deep gratitude. For a parent who famously left a campaign over the death of a beloved child, and a prince nonetheless, to offer their precious son’s robe… It was simply,  
“An honor. I-I’m not worthy of-“

Iroh frowned and stroked his beard as he settled the green robe in his lap, “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this color do anyone’s complexion a favor. Its pattern is meant for a younger boy as well.” He smiled faintly and stared at the gob-smacked young man kneeling beside him, “And yes, you are.”

Jiao just dipped his head in a bow and thanked the General once again. “Thank you sir. Thank you.”

A warm hand clapped over his shoulder,

“Now, look up, you’re the one who’s going to be wearing this in front of all those people after all, and frankly I’m not completely sure what exactly young people think is in fashion these days.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully you reached this message after enjoying the chapter and on your way to leave a lovely comment and kudos. 
> 
> Feel free to talk to me on tumblr! 
> 
> http://http://silnok.tumblr.com/
> 
> And thank you for reading~


End file.
